80th Infantry Regiment
Nickname: Twentieth New York State Militia; Ulster Guard.
Mustered in (as 20th New York State Militia): April 23, 1861 to May 11, 1861
Mustered out (as 20th New York State Militia): August 2, 1861
Mustered in: September 20 to October 20,1861
Mustered out: January 29, 1866
The following is taken from New York in the War of the Rebellion, 3rd ed. Frederick Phisterer. Albany: J. B. Lyon Company, 1912.
On the return of the 20th Militia from its three months' service, Col. George W. Pratt received authority to reorganize it at Kingston as a regiment of volunteers, and it was mustered in the service of the United States for three years between September 20 and October 20, 1861. December 7, 1861, it received its State numerical designation, and May 24, 1863, the three years' men of the 35th Infantry. At the expiration of its term of service the men entitled thereto were mustered out and the regiment retained in service. November 6, 1864, a new company joined the regiment, taking the letter I.
The companies were recruited principally in Ulster county; quite a number of men from the neighboring counties joined the regiment, however, and the men enlisted for James A. Raney's Battery became part of it.
The regiment left the State October 26, 1861; served in Wadsworth's Brigade from October, 1861; in McDowell's Division, Army of Potomac, from November, 1861; in 2d Brigade, McDowell's Division, Army of Potomac, from January, 1862; in Patrick's, 1st, Brigade, King's, 3d, Division, 1st Corps, Army of Potomac, from March, 1862; in 2d Brigade, same division, Department Rappahannock, from May, 1862; in 3d Brigade, 1st Division, 3d Corps, Army of Virginia, from June, 1862; in same brigade and division, 1st Corps, Army of Potomac, from September 12, 1862; in Patrick's Provost Guard Brigade, Army of Potomac, from January 7, 1863; in 1st Brigade, 3d Division, 1st Corps, Army of Potomac, from June, 1863; in Provost Guard Brigade, Army of Potomac, from July 16, 1863; in the Independent Brigade, 9th Corps, Army of Potomac, from March, 1865; on provost duty at City Point, Va., from April 7, 1865; at Richmond, Va., from April 22, 1865; at Norfolk, Va., from November 27, 1865; and it was honorably discharged and mustered out, under Col. Jacob B. Hardenbergh, January 29, 1866, at Portsmouth, Va.
During its service the regiment lost by death, killed in action, 5 officers, 81 enlisted men; of wounds received in action, 3 officers, 39 enlisted men; of disease and other causes, 156 enlisted men; total, 8 officers', 276 enlisted, men; aggregate, 284; of whom 22 enlisted men died in the hands of the enemy; by the explosion of ammunition at City Point, Va., August 9, 1864, the regiment lost, by death, 6 enlisted men.
The following is taken from The Union army: a history of military affairs in the loyal states, 1861-65 -- records of the regiments in the Union army -- cyclopedia of battles -- memoirs of commanders and soldiers. Madison, WI: Federal Pub. Co., 1908. volume II.
Eightieth Infantry.—Cols., Jacob B. Hardenberg, George W. Pratt, Theodore B. Gates; Lieut.-Cols., John McEntee, Theodore B. Gates, Jacob B. Hardenberg; Majs., John R. Leslie, Jacob B. Hardenberg, Walter A. Van Rensselaer. The 80th, the "Ulster Guard," was formed by the reorganization of the 20th militia, one of the oldest militia regiments in the state, upon its return from three months' service. It was mustered into the U. S. service at Kingston, Sept. 20 to Oct. 20, 1861, for a three years' term, and was composed principally of men from. Ulster county. The regiment left for Washington Oct. 26, was assigned to Wadsworth's brigade, McDowell's division, and performed picket duty along the Potomac in the vicinity of Upton's hill, Va., during the first winter. In March, 1862, it was attached to the 1st brigade, 3d division, 1st corps, Army of the Potomac; in May to the 2nd brigade of the same division, Department of the Rappahannock, and in June, to the 3d brigade, 1st division, 3d corps, with which last assignment it fought in Gen. Pope's Virginia campaign. At the second Bull Run the 80th lost 279 in killed, wounded and missing, and Col. Pratt died a few weeks later of the wounds received in that battle. It was active at South mountain and Antietam, encamped at Sharpsburg for one week and marched through Crampton's gap, Leesburg, Warrenton and Stafford Court House to Fredericksburg, where it participated in the battle. Winter quarters were established soon after near Hall's landing and occupied until Jan. 7, 1863, when the 80th was assigned, to the provost guard brigade, with headquarters at Brooks' station and remained on duty at army headquarters until after the battle of Chancellorsville. In June, 1863, the regiment was assigned to the 1st brigade, 3d division, 1st corps, and was closely engaged at Gettysburg, where it lost 170 killed, wounded or missing out of 287 engaged. It suffered most severely in the repulse of Pickett's charge on the last day. After the battle of Gettysburg, the 80th was again ordered to headquarters for provost guard duty and con-tinued in this service until the end of the siege of Petersburg, when it shared in the final assault, April 2, 1865. From April 22 to Nov. 27, 1865, it was stationed at Richmond and then ordered to Norfolk, where it remained until mustered out on Jan. 29, 1866. The total enrollment of the regiment was 2,103, of whom 128 died of wounds and 156 from accident, imprisonment or disease. The regiment early became known for its fine fighting qualities and sustained a reputation for courage and steadiness under fire throughput its long term of service, which lasted, including its militia service, from the spring of 1861 to Jan., 1866. The regiment is classed among the "three hundred fighting regiments."
80th Regiment NY Volunteer Infantry | Regimental Color | Civil War
On December 15, 1862, as the 80th New York Volunteers or 20th New York State Militia skirmished below Fredericksburg, Virginia, ladies from Saugerties…
NYSMM Online Resources
Battles and Casualties from Phisterer (pdf)
Battles and Casualties from Phisterer (spreadsheet)
Civil War Newspaper Clippings
Pages 1 - 11
Pages 12 - 22
Pages 23 - 33